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In Memory Of Ed Parker
I woke up this morning to the news of the untimely passing of Ed Parker. I'm deeply saddened by this. Ed was one of the good promoters out there doing right by the sport. He's somebody that we cannot really afford to lose at this time.
I think that Ed and I may have had a few interactions back in 2015 when I was down at Chowchilla and Merced, but he hadn't become the promoter yet. In fact, when I heard he was one of the people interested in buying out John at Merced Speedway, I didn't take him seriously. It didn't help that I had certain people saying to me that he wasn't somebody capable of doing it.
It's not something that he ever did before. He raced the Little Truck division, which is a division that has had such an impact on racing in Merced that it's still being felt to this day, and the division hasn't been around for 17 years. When Ed decided he was going after this race track, he began formulating his plan. He was very serious. He was in constant communication with John as they negotiated their deal.
In the meantime, I was in the process of losing my home and hoping some last minute miracle could save it. John had me writing down at Merced and doing some announcing there and at Chowchilla. We started to see signs of racers coming back to the track during the last few races. I know that got Ed's mind working as he thought about the things that he could do to make things really pop at the track.
When I lost my home and was staying at my aunt's house, Dale Falkenberg informed me of an offer he had for me to announce. I even named my price, and Ed Parker didn't flinch. He wanted me to announce, and Dale was there singing my praises. If not for the fact that I needed more money to keep me located in California at the time, I would have gone to Merced. I said that the biggest thing that could have made it happen was if Chowchilla Speedway were still running that first year and I could get a job there.
Even though I relocated, I still wanted to help Ed in his effort to really turn things around. This is the biggest reason I am doing race review articles for the track that are getting published in newspapers. They currently have nothing out there talking about the great show that Ed has put together, and I thought that needed to change.
What I most admired about Ed Parker was his love of the sport and his genuine desire to do good things for that track. He was constantly working on ideas, and he surrounded himself with people of like mind who understood this sport. This is the key to why things have done so well there. I think it's important for a promoter to like what they're doing, even if it is a business where you're ultimately trying to make money. You could tell Ed loved what he was doing.
I sort of pictured him as the guy walking down the grandstands at the end of the night when pretty much everybody was gone. He would be pinching himself to see if this was real. I know he felt like a lucky man to be able to do what he was doing to help the racing community, and he liked to let everybody know what was going on. Ed would go live from the track every so often to let people know what was happening. Not many promoters would keep people in the loop the way he did.
I've always believed in race track unity and promoters working together. Probably a pipe dream, but darned if Ed Parker wasn't somebody committed to doing just that. I remember him lamenting the fact that he had tried working with everybody on his schedule prior to the 2017 season. He talked about all the stress, and I had to comment and tell him he did a good job with what he did. The promoters who wanted to work with him did. And to this day, Ed's schedule stayed off of certain race track's dates in an effort to work with them.
Ed built up a reputation as a racer's promoter. People wanted to go down there and race for him. He treated them with respect. This isn't any more obvious than when the track had over 100 race cars in the pits for the first time in who knows how long last year. This year, they even shattered that record with some 140 cars in the pits. This doesn't happen by accident. This happens because you had a guy in charge guiding the ship in such a way that people wanted to be a part of it.
Ed was also a man of his word. He told me before that he would help me out and send some money my way for the DCRR Media effort. I just liked hearing that he appreciated what I was doing, but darned if he didn't follow through on that and recently send me a few bucks that I could definitely use for things. I'm happy that I got an article on the Merced County Times front page about Ed with his picture. He deserved that kind of recognition for what he had done.
Merced Speedway is about community. Race Director Doug Williams knew that when he came to work with John before, but Ed continued to follow up and build on that theme. So, in addition to the Ted Stofle Classic and Legends Night that were there, you got the John Fore Jr Memorial, the return of the Timmy Post Memorial and the big race for Bill Egleston. Ed knew that it was the community that made all of this happen. All of the racers who have come and gone through the years.
What I hate to see is the negativity that got thrown at him, but it's a part of the game. I can tell you stories about what I've witnessed up here, but this column is not about that. Ed took it with a grain of salt, but he did listen to his racers. He changed the track configuration this year after going to different racing promoters events. Ed tried everything to make it work, but in the end, he listened to the racers who wanted it changed back.
During the break leading up to the big Dwarf Car Nationals, Ed had a crew out there putting the banking back in. He even told them in a live broadcast that they wanted it, so he was giving it to them. "I listen to my racers, " Ed proudly said. And damn it, he did. He was one of the good ones.
I won't knock any promoter who's out there risking their own money to keep a race track going. They all have my respect. Ed was one of those who went above and beyond, and I so very much appreciated and respected what he was doing. It wasn't just about maybe getting some money back in his investment. It was about making Merced Speedway better and making bigger shows than the race track has seen in many years. I can tell you this. In his short time as promoter, Ed accomplished all of that and more.
If you were on social media today, you saw the outpouring of emotion and love for Ed Parker. Everybody saw what he was doing. Everybody approved of what he was doing. Him being gone leaves a big hole in the racing community in Merced. I'm not sure what the future will be, but I can tell you that Ed would want things to continue on. I'm not going to comment on any of that in this column.
I can just tell you that I am proud to have had interactions with Ed Parker through the years on social media. I let him know in no uncertain terms that I supported him and continued to try and spread the word about what he was doing. And you know what Ed did? Aside from sending me some money, there has been a standing invitation for me to come to Legends Night. He even offered to pay my way down there, which was something I was thinking about doing this year.
It should serve as a stark reminder to people. Never take any day for granted. Never take anybody for granted that you care about. You may be seeing them today, but who knows about tomorrow? Tomorrow is uncertain. If you've got a chance to do something, don't hesitate. And don't forget to tell the loved ones in your life how much you love them.
I can tell you that when Ed's son Cody graduated, he let the world know how proud he was of him. I remember Cody making his first starts in a Hobby Stock at Chowchilla back in 2015. But Cody would also help work on the race track when Ed got it. Merced Speedway was very much a Parker family endeavor. And all I can add in closing is that my thoughts and prayers go out to Ed's family and close friends in their time of mourning.
Thank you Ed for all that you did to help make Merced Speedway a better place to race. You will be missed.
Limited Late Models Are Part Of Five Division
Antioch Speedway Show Saturday Night
Antioch, CA...The All Star Series Limited Late Models return to Antioch Speedway as part of a five division program this Saturday night. The popular B Modifieds will be there along with the Winged 360 Sprints, Hobby Stocks and Dwarf Cars. We're about at the halfway point of the season, but there's still plenty of racing to be seen on the John M Soares promoted 3/8 mile clay oval.
We pretty much expected the continuation of the battle between reigning champion, Kimo Oreta and Mark Garner for the Limited Late Model championship. To that extent, we certainly have not been disappointed. Both drivers have come out strong this season. Oreta became the first two-time winner of the season when he won the most recent race. His other starts have resulted in just one other Top 3 finish. Garner, meanwhile has done slightly better in preliminary action and has one first, one second and one third so far. He sits atop the point list by just eight points ahead of Oreta.
The driver in the middle of that battle is Mike Walko. Mike has all Top 3 finishes with one win, two seconds and two thirds. It's probably because his preliminary efforts haven't been so good that he trails Garner by eight points in the battle. Mike started his racing career at Antioch over 35 years ago. He has spent recent seasons competing at Marysville Raceway and was second in the standings last year. Also in the hunt is the fast pickup truck of Ryan Cherezian, who counts one second and one third as his best efforts so far. He is very much in the hunt for his first ever win in the division. Other drivers to watch for this week include Chad Hammer, John Evans, two-time champion Mike Gustafson and Jon Haney.
Last week, Trevor Clymens scored his fourth win in the last five races and fifth of the season. We've been saying that he has won more races at the speedway in the past three years than anybody else, and last week was his 20th B Modified win. Clymens holds a commanding lead in the championship battle with the race very much for second at this point. Rookie Ryan DeForest, who is a past Mini Truck competitor at the track, holds an 18 point lead over Tommy Fraser. Both are looking for their first wins.
Another driver looking to get his first Antioch victory is fourth place competitor Guy Ahlwardt. Guy won recently at Watsonville and is coming very close to getting a win at his home track. He trails DeForest by just 24 points in the battle for second. Another driver climbing the ladder very rapidly after a late start is Kenny Shrader. Shrader is 52 points out of second but still very much in the hunt. Other racers to watch for this week include Chuck Golden, Todd Gomez, Kevin Brown and past A Modified champion Aaron Crowell.
Art McCarthy has stepped into the Winged 360 Sprint point lead, but probably not the way he would have preferred. Two time winner Matt DeMartini missed the most recent race, and two-time reigning champion McCarthy is still looking for his first win of the season. It was Billy Aton winning last week in a short field of racers.
Tim Burcher is the unlikely second place competitor, but his lead over DeMartini is only four points with Aton six points back. Another driver who has just joined the battle at Antioch is Geoffrey Strole. Strole has been competing in Wingless competition with USAC in recent seasons, and he was the heat race winner last time out. The count was down noticeably last week, but it's hoped that such competitors as David Dias, Burt Foland Jr and Jacob Tuttle come back to race again this week.
In the Hobby Stock division, reigning champion Cameron Swank is on a roll. Swank won his third race of the past four weeks, and the previous three weeks of that streak have been all second place finishes. That's the good news. The bad news is Swank is trailing point leader Chris Sorensen by nearly 100 points. Sorensen has been off to an impressive start and has four feature victories to show for it in his car that came from the shop of Baker Motorsports. Chris finished second last week despite a spin earlier in the race. Meanwhile, Michael Cooper continues to struggle with just one Top 5 finish in his past six starts. Cooper was battling for the lead last time when he had to pit with a flat. He leads Swank by just 17 points in the race for second.
Fourth generation racer Billy Garner continues to do well. Billy has notched three Top 5 finishes in the last four races with a season high third during that time. He's closing in on his first career win, and that could happen this week. Newcomer Anthony Wellborn has been making waves with back-to-back Top 5 finishes as well. These two drivers will be hoping to win, but you can expect good competition from others, such as Anthony Vigna, Tanis Rangel, Breanna Troen and Joey Ridgeway.
It's not surprising to see David Michael Rosa shoot back into the second position on the standings. Winning two straight Main Events will do that for you. He still trails reigning champion Mike Corsaro by 52 points. Corsaro was leading midway through the most recent race when he pitted with mechanical issues. Rosa has the hot hand right now, but can he make it three wins in a row?
It's a close race for third in the standings as Mario Marquez leads ageless veteran Charlie Correia by 14 tallies. Street Stock legend David Rosa holds down fifth, two points ahead of Chris Mello and four in front of Troy Stevenson. All five of these racers are still looking for their first wins of the season. It should be a great race this week as Dwarf Car veterans Jerry Doty and Tony Carmignani are part of a field that also includes such racers such as Lonnie Tekaat, Chris Becker and Timmy Ryan.
Saturday night's five division All Star Series event should be a good one from start to finish. For further information, go to www.antiochspeedway.com.
Hogge wins Jerry Hetrick Memorial Race
At Antioch Speedway
Antioch, CA...June 16...Bobby Hogge IV scored the victory in the 20 lap Jerry Hetrick Memorial A Modified race Saturday night at Antioch Speedway. The win was his 72nd at Antioch Speedway, putting him in a three-way tie with Scott Busby and JD Willis at the top of the All Time win list.
Kellen Chadwick started out strong in the race as he led Hogge and Nick DeCarlo early on through a pair of yellow flags during the first 10 laps. It was during the final five laps when things got interesting. The leaders caught slower traffic, and Hogge was running a fast high line. Hogge put his car up on the outside as he exited Turn 2 of the 18th lap and passed two slower cars while taking the lead from Chadwick. Once he got in front, Hogge led the final two tours of the three-eighth mile clay oval to collect the big win. Chadwick settled for second, followed by DeCarlo, Jeff Decker and Richard Papenhausen.
Trevor Clymens scored his 20th career All Star Series B Modified Main Event victory. The current point leader set the pace from the waving of the green flag. Meanwhile, rookie Brent Curran started 10th and steadily worked his way to the front. Curran took second from Kenny Shrader on a lap 16 restart and gave Clymens some pressure during the final laps. Clymens kept his cool and won ahead of Curran, Shrader, Chuck Golden and Kevin Brown.
Reigning Hobby Stock champion Cameron Swank won his third 20 lap Main Event. Joey Ridgeway set the early pace. Ridgeway got out of shape down the backstretch on lap 7, allowing Anthony Wellborn to race into the lead ahead of Michael Cooper. Cooper made a low pass in Turn 4 to take the lead from Wellborn on lap nine. Swank gained second on a lap 10 restart and made an inside pass on Cooper in Turn 4 a lap later to gain the lead. The two drivers exchanged the lead in Turn 4 during the next two laps, but Cooper ducked into the pits on lap 13 with a flat tire. Swank had the lead at that point and held off point leader Chris Sorensen the rest of the way for the victory. Ridgeway settled for third, followed by Wellborn and Billy Garner.
David Michael Rosa won his second straight Dwarf Car Main Event. Rosa had to start back in tenth as the previous winner. Mario Marquez was the early leader ahead of point leader Mike Corsaro. Corsaro took the lead on lap seven, but he slowed and retired from the race two laps later. This put Michael Curry into the lead ahead of Marquez. Rosa found his way into the Top 3 by lap 10 and made a pass on Marquez for second two laps later. Rosa passed Curry for the lead on lap 16 and pulled away from there to the victory. Curry settled for second, followed by Tony Carmignani, Chris Mello and Lonnie Tekaat
Billy Aton won the 20 lap Winged 360 Sprint Car Main Event. The 2016 champion bested a short field with point leader Art McCarthy finishing second ahead of heat race winner Jeffrey Strole and Tim Burcher.
Racing continues next Saturday night with the All Star Series Winged 360 Sprint Cars, B Modifieds, Limited Late Models, Hobby Stocks and Dwarf Cars. For further information, go to www.antiochspeedway.com.
Unofficial Race Results
All Star Series
A Modifieds
Heat
Winners (8 Laps)-Brian Cass, Bobby Hogge IV, Kellen Chadwick. Main
Event (25 Laps)-Bobby Hogge IV, Kellen Chadwick, Nick DeCarlo, Jeff
Decker, Richard Papenhausen, Brian Cass, Buddy Kniss, Bobby Motts Jr, Bobby Montalvo,
Trent Wentworth.
B Modifieds
Heat
Winners (8 Laps)-Brent Curran, Tommy Fraser. Main Event (20 Laps)-Trevor
Clymens, Brent Curran, Kenny Shrader, Chuck Golden, Kevin Brown, Ron
Brown, Nick Caughman Jr, Tommy Fraser, Joe Salvi, Ryan DeForest.
Hobby Stocks
Heat
Winners (8 Laps)-Billy Garner, Cameron Swank. Main Event (20
Laps)-Cameron Swank, Chris Sorensen, Joe Ridgeway Jr, Anthony Wellborn,
Billy Garner, Syd Smith Jr, Anthony Vigna, Breanna Troen, Michael
Cooper, Prestyn Corral.
Dwarf Cars
Heat Winners
(8 Laps)-Mike Corsaro, David Michael Rosa. Main Event (20 Laps)-David
Michael Rosa, Michael Curry, Tony Carmignani, Chris Mello, Lonnie
Tekaat, Charlie Correia, Jerry Doty, Timmy Ryan, Chris Becker, Mario
Marquez.
Winged 360 Sprint Cars
Heat Winner (8 Laps)-Geoffrey Strole. Main Event (20 Laps)-Billy Aton, Art McCarthy, Geoffrey Strole, Tim Burcher.
Diatte, Kapaun Win Dwarf Car Nationals Events
At Merced Speedway
Merced, CA...June 16...Ryan Diatte picked up the big win in the Western States Dwarf Car Association 30 lap Main Event for the Pro Division. It capped a two win weekend as he also won the Preliminary Feature on Friday night to put him into the Fast Dash. Diatte won the Fast Dash ahead of Ryan Winter.
With a pole position start for the 30 lap race, Diatte led from the outset. However, it was Jonathan Henry keeping it very close at the checkered flag. Tony Steffensmeier was third, followed closely by Derren Brown and Winter. After winning the 15 lap B Main, Cameron Diatte charged to a sixth place finish ahead of Mac Marmon, Danny Wagner, Darren Brent and Dustin Loughton. Cameron Diatte outran Michael "Spanky" Grenert and Brent to win the 15 lap B Main. 10 lap heat race wins went to Cameron Diatte, and Grenert.
Steven Kapaun had an impressive night in the Veteran Dwarf Car division. The Arizona visitor picked up the win in the 10 lap Fast Dash, followed by Mark Biscardi. The two then had a good race up front in the 20 lap feature race with Kapaun finishing just ahead of Biscardi for the victory. Tim Fitzpatrick out-dueled Scott Dahlgren for the third position. Buddy Olschowka was a solid fifth, followed by Kevin Bender, Mike Reeder, Jack Haverty, Wade Ehrlich and Dennis Hively. Olschowka won the 10 lap heat race.
Shawn Whitney bested a short field of Sportsman Dwarf Car competitors. After winning the 10 lap Fast Dash, Whitney outran Oregon racer Joe Sanders for the 12 lap Main Event win. Mike Clark was a solid third ahead of Eddie Claesson and Mack Aceves.
Reigning Hobby Stock champion Kodie Dean continues to close in on the point lead after his 20 lap Main Event triumph. This was his fourth win, and he used a pole position start to lead all the way. Robbie Loquaci kept it close in second. Rick Diaz and two-time champion Bubba Nelson came from the fifth row to finish third and fourth, respectively. Austin Van Hoff settled for fifth, followed by Kristie Shearer, John Hensley, point leader Shannon Nelsen, Cody Smiley and Jeff Lacy. Dean and Hensley won eight lap heat races.
Jesse James Burks captured his third California Sharp Mini Late Model feature win of the season. Burks out-dueled point leader Tim Crews to get the win. Ian Shearer was a season best third in a good battle with Carson Guthrie as Riley Jeppesen rounded out the Top 5 in the 15 lap race. Burks also won the six lap heat race.
Chris Birdsong won his second 12 lap Valley Sportsman Main Event. Birdsong picked up the win with Watsonville Speedway Hall of Famer Ray Johnson a few car lengths behind in second. Reigning division championship Jeff Bristow won a photo finish with point leader Jerry Cecil for third as Rick Elliott rounded out the Top 5. Birdsong also won the heat race.
Merced Speedway will go dark this Saturday night before returning for the annual Timmy Post Memorial race. IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds, Hobby Stocks and California Sharp Mini Late Models will be competing that night. For further information, go to www.racemerced.com.
Diatte, Dahlgren Win Night #1 Of WSDCA Dwarf Car Nationals At Merced Speedway
Merced, CA...June 15...Ryan Diatte scored of the victory in the 20 lap Western States Dwarf Car Pro Main Event Friday night at Merced Speedway. Ryan Winter paced two laps before Diatte moved by for the lead. Jonathan Henry followed closely into second. Henry kept pace with Diatte, but Diatte would lead all the way to the checkered flag. Winter was a solid third, followed by Darren Brown, Danny Wagner, Tony Steffensmeier, Dustin Loughton, Mark Hanson, Mac Marmon and Chad Matthias.
The Pro division had 27 competitors for the first night of racing, and Zack Price won the first eight lap heat race ahead of Wagner. Winter won the second heat ahead of Brown and the third heat win went to Diatte in front of Henry. Steffensmeier had to win the 15 lap B Main to get into the feature, and he won the race ahead of Loughton, Gene "Punky" Pires, Darren Brent and Toby Brown.
A light turn out of Sportsman Dwarf Cars saw them combined with the Veteran Dwarf Car class. Scott Dahlgren won a good battle up front for the 20 lap feature win. Arizona racer Steven Kapaun set the early pace, but he surrendered the lead to Dahlgren on lap nine. A lap 15 restart allowed Mark Biscardi to charge into second ahead of Kevin Bender. Dahlgren led the rest of the way to win ahead of the Biscardi, Bender, Kapaun, Tim Fitzpatrick, Buddy Olschowka, Kevin Miraglio, Mike Reeder, Eric Weisler and Wade Ehrlich. Eight lap heat race wins went to Bender and Kapaun.
Shawn Whitney won the six lap Sportsman Dwarf Car heat race and then won the Main Event ahead of Mac Aceves, Eddie Claessen and Joe Sanders.
The Friday night preliminary races at the Nationals put the Top 10 finishers of the feature races automatically into Saturday's Fast Heat for the respective classes. That determines the first five rows of the Main Event. With 27 Dwarf Cars in the Pro class, Friday's Preliminary Feature is a pretty important race.
Terrell Wins Hunt Spec Sprint Series Race
At Petaluma Speedway
Petaluma, CA...June 16...Bradley Terrell won the sixth round of the C&H Veteran Enterprises Hunt Wingless Spec Sprint Series Saturday night at Petaluma Speedway. Terrell is a past Winged 360 Sprint Car champion at the speedway. Despite a late caution in the 25 lap event, Terrell held off Scott Hall for the win. The track's reigning Winged Sprint Car champion, Geoff Ensign, finished third, followed by Shawn Jones, three-time series champion Terry Schank Jr, Cody Spencer, Nick Larson, Trey Walters, Troy DeGaton and Alan Miranda.
The Hunt Spec Sprint Series brought 25 cars, and Ensign set the fast time at 14.639, beating the 15.063 of Spencer. Shayna Sylvia scored a popular victory ahead of Terrell in the six lap Trophy Dash. Dennis Furia Jr made it into the Main Event by winning the eight lap B Main, just ahead of Keith Calvino and Kaimi Moniz-Costa.
Tim Yeager scored his first win in the 25 lap McLea's Tire Service IMCA Modified Main Event. Many time champion Michael Paul Jr won a battle with point leader Jeff Faulkner to finish second. Reigning champion Oreste Gonella settled for fourth ahead of Mitch Machado, Anthony Slaney, Joel Myers, Ray Trimble, Chris Seweike and Justin Yeager. Tim Yeager and Paul won eight lap heat races.
Mitch Machado continued to roll in The Lumberjacks Restaurant Super Stock division as he won his fourth 20 lap Main Event. Reigning division champion Matt While finished a strong second, followed by Steve Studebaker, Shawn McCoy, Sean Cook, Jim "Woody" Woodward, Austin Ohlinger, Sid Hess, Tim O'Hara and Snazzy Duckworth. Machado and Woodward were the eight lap heat races winners.
Dave Spindell won the 20 lap Jake's Performance Hobbies Mini Stock Main Event. Sean Hale was a strong second, followed by Richard Sklarski, Danny Manzoni and Tom Brown. Spindell and Randy Miramontez were the six lap heat race winners.
The next race will be part of the Sonoma-Marin Fair on Sunday as PitStopUSA.com Wingless Spec Sprints, Lumberjacks Restaurant Super Stocks and Santa Rosa Auto Body 600 Micros will be competing. For further information, go to you www.petaluma-speedway.com.
Point leader Shaw Wins Sprint Car Main At Ocean Speedway
Watsonville, CA...June 15...Point leader Koen Shaw scored the victory in the 30 lap Taco Bravo Sprint Car Main Event Friday night at Ocean Speedway. It was the first win of the season for Shaw. Shaw led a pair of laps in the Main Event before DJ Netto went racing by on lap three. Justin Sanders gained second on lap six. Soon, Sanders began putting pressure on Netto for the lead, and he made the move into the top position on lap 22. It got a little bit too close for comfort moments later as the two leaders tangled on the backstretch, ending the race for both of them and putting Shaw into the lead. Two time Wingless Spec Sprint champion Ryan Bernal was second at that point, and he began to pressure Shaw for the lead in the waning laps. However, Shaw kept his cool and scored the victory ahead of Bernal, Kyle Offill, Tommy Tarlton, Cole Macedo, Brad Furr, Zane Blanchard, Von Schott, Jeremy Chisum and Jason Chisum.
Shaw started his night right by setting the fast time of 11.898 in the 20 car field. Tarlton had an 11.918 lap for second quick. Bernal, Netto and Sanders each won eight lap heat races. Tarlton outran Shaw to win the six lap Trophy Dash.
Incoming point leader Matt Kile won his third 20 lap American Stock Main Event. Kile led from the outset ahead of JC Elrod. Last starter Rob Gallaher made it up to 4th when the only caution flag of the race flew on lap 10. On the restart, Gallaher charged into second. However, Kile stayed smooth down the stretch and scored the victory ahead of Rob Gallaher, Joe Gallaher, Tony Oliveira, DJ Keldsen, Wally Kennedy, Elrod, Terry Traub and John Farrell. Eight lap heat wins went to Elrod and Rob Gallaher. The division had a rare opportunity to qualify on the clock, and Rob Gallaher set the fast time of 17.680.
Abigail Kennedy won her first 15 lap 4 Banger Main Event. Kennedy trailed incoming point leader Dakota Keldsen for four laps before taking the lead as Keldsen had problems. Keldsen began to make a charge back to the front down the stretch, and he gained second on lap 12. However, Kennedy had a big lead by the checkered flag. Nicole Beardsley made a last lap pass on Gary Smith for third. Bill Beardsley finished fifth, followed by Kate Beardsley, Ray Bunn and Justin Williams. Bunn and Smith each won six lap heat races.
Next week is the Pombo/Sargent Classic for the King of the West Sprint Cars. Also on the card will be the IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds and South Bay Dwarf Cars. For further information, go to www.racepmg.com.
Langenderfer Wins Again At Orland Raceway
Orland, CA...June 16...Reigning Pure Stock champion Jeremy Langenderfer won the 20 lap Main Event Saturday night at Orland Raceway. This was the third win of the season for Langenderfer as he is making a strong bid to repeat as champion. 2015 champion Paul Stevens took up pursuit of Langenderfer and caught a break when a yellow flag flew with five laps to go. However. Langenderfer resumed his rapid pace and took the checkered flag about six car-lengths ahead of Stevens. Jason Matlock was a strong third. Thomas Pavlick won a close three car battle for fourth ahead of Earl Adams and Cody Bundy.
Reigning Mini Stock champion Tom Davis was rather dominant in winning a majority of his division's Main Events last season, but he had been kept out of the winner's circle up until Saturday. He finally won his first 20 lap feature of the season, while Sean Perry and Paul Stevens won heat races.
Past Orland Wingless Sprint champion Tony Richards made his triumphant return with a win in the 20 lap Wingless Gas Sprint Main Event. He becomes the third different winner in the class this year. 2016 Mini Truck champion Dan Webster grabbed the victory in the 20 lap feature. James Barnes won the 20 lap 250 Micro Main Event.
The California Hardtops make their first appearance of the season at the next race on June 30th. Mini Stocks, Mini Trucks, 600 Micros and 250 Micros will also be competing. Find Orland Raceway on Facebook for further information.
Brown, Scruggs, Rayburn Win At Kern County Raceway
Bakersfield, CA...June 15...JD Brown picked up the win in the 20 lap Mod Lite Main Event Friday night at Kern County Raceway. Brown set a good pace out front, but Caden Cochrun kept it close as a race long second. Kenny Cochrun was the final lead lap finisher as Kyleigh Forster, Tristan Kanthack, Evan Berger and Zach Forster completed the finishing order. Zach Forster won the eight lap heat race but fell out early in the Main Event.
Evan Scruggs collected the victory in the 20 lap Hobby Stock feature. Scruggs took the checkered flag ahead of Cody Johnson. Tim Delsid picked up a third place finish ahead of Nicholas Johnson, Trevor Baker, Eric Cimental, Don Mead and Scotty Preast. Nicholas Johnson won the eight lap heat race.
Santa Maria Speedway regular Gary Rayburn Jr won the 25 lap American Stock Main Event. Dakota Brown was a strong second ahead of Brock Crawford, Jimmy Satlawa, Justin Jackson, Matthew Crawford, Michael Crawford, Teena Johnson, Wayne Dotson and Daryl Mealer. Eight lap heat race wins went to Michael Crawford and Dotson.
Tyler Blankenship won the 15 lap Sr Mini Dwarf Car Main Event. Trenton Eurto and Nathan Edwards had a good battle for second with Edwards coming out ahead of Eurto. Logan Miller and Connor Karsten completed the finishing order. Blankenship won the six lap heat race.
Adam Nohl won the Jr Mini Dwarf Car 15 lap Main Event. Nohl set the pace from the start, leaving a good three car battle behind him for second. Tristan Harrington held the spot for several laps, but Seth Hansen and Bransyn Speer both got by for second and third, respectively. Harrington settled for fourth ahead of Hayden Joplin and Ethan Johnson. Nohl won the six lap heat race.
Cade Lewis won the 20 lap Mini Mod Main Event. Tyler Blankenship led for three laps before mechanical issues ended his race and gave Lewis the lead. Lewis led the rest of the race with Cole Forster a close second and Nathaniel Edwards finishing third.
Racing returns to the dirt oval on July 13th with A Modifieds back in action along with B Modifieds, Pro Stocks, American Stocks and USAC Speed2 Midgets. For further information, go to www.kernraceway.com.
Merced Speedway Unofficial Race Results June 15, 2018
Pro Dwarf Car
A Main
Ryan Diatte
Johnathon Henry
Ryan Winter
Darren Brown
Danny Wagner
Tony Steffensmeier
Dustin Loughton
Mark Hanson
Mac Marmon
Chad Matthias
Zach Price
Michael Grenert
Toby Brown
Brady Beck
Justin Yanez
Adam Teves
Jessica Clark
Camron Diatte
Darren Brent
Matt Sargent
Shane Youngren
Punky Pires
Anthony Pope
Mikie Clark
B Main
Tony Steffensmeier
Dustin Loughton
Punky Pires
Darren Brent
Toby Brown
Mark Hanson
Michael Grenert
Justin Yanez
Chad Matthias
Mikie Clark
Jessica Clark
Brady Beck
Chris Kress
Zack Albers
Devan Kammermann DNS
Sportsman Dwarf Car
Shawn Whitney
Mac Aceves
Eddy Claessen
Joe Sanders
Veteran Dwarf Car
Scott Dahlgren
Mark Biscardi
Kevin Bender
Steven Kapaun
Tim Fitzpatrick
Buddy Olschowka
Kevin Miragilo
Mike Reeder
Eric Weisler
Wade Ehrlich
Dennis Hively DNS
Ocean Speedway Unofficial Race Results June15, 2018
Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo
Koen Shaw
Ryan Bernal
Kyle Offill
Tommy Tarlton Jr.
Cole Macedo
Brad Furr
Zane Blanchard
Vaughn Schott
Jeremy Chisum
Jason Chisum
Richard Fajardo
Jerry Bonnema
Glenn Bryan
Justin Sanders
D.J. Netto
Collin Markle
Gary Nelson Jr.
Bryan Grier
Kurt Nelson
Chris Nelson
American Stocks
Matt Kile
Rob Gallaher
Joe Gallaher
Tony Oliveira
DJ Keldsen
Wally Kennedy
JC Elrod
Terry Traub
John Farrell
Ken Winland DNS
Four Bangers
Abigail Kennedy
Dakota Keldsen
Nicole Beardsley
Gary Smith
Bill Beardsley
Kate Beardsley
Ray Bunn
Justin Williams
Kern County Raceway Unofficial Race Results June 16,2018
Mod Lites
JD Brown
Kaden Cochrun
Kenny Cochrun
Kyleigh Forester
Tristan Kanthack
Evan Burger
Zach Forester
Hobby Stocks
Michael Scruggs
Cody Johnson
Tim Delsid
Nicholas Johnson
Trevor Baker
Eric Cimental
Don Mead
Scotty Preast
American Stocks
Gary Rayburn Jr
Dakota Brown
Brock Crawford
Jimmy Satlawa
Justin Jackson
Matthew Crawford
Michael Crawford
Teena Johnson
Wayne Dodson
Daryl Mealer
Kris Broucaret
Miranda Scott
James Coots
JR Garcia
Sr Dwarf Cars
TYLER BLANKENSHIP
NATHAN EDWARDS
TRENTON EURTO
LOGAN MILLER
Conner Karsten
Jr Dwarf Car
Adam Nohl
SETH HANSON
BRANSYN SPEER
Tristen Harrington
Hayden Joplin
ETHAN JOHNSON
Mini Mods
Cade Lewis
Cole Forster
Nathaniel Edwards
Tyler Blankenship
Petaluma Speedway Unofficial Race Results June 16, 2018
C And H Veteran's Services Hunt Wingless Spec Sprints
A Main
Results are not official
1 #11 Bradley Terrell
2 #56 Scott Hall
3 #98 Geoff Ensign
4 #24 Shawn Jones
5 #1 Terry Schank Jr.
6 #7ej Cody Spencer
7 #24n Nick Larson
8 #1w Trey Walters
9 #39 Troy DeGaton
10 #11b Alan Miranda
11 #77s Ryon Siverling
12 #51 Greg DeCaires IV
13 #57n Dennis Furia Jr.
14 #32b Eden McCormic
15 #5 Kaimi Moniz-Costa
16 #2 Kevin Box
17 #38 Casey McClain
18 #84 Brent Steck
19 #9 Shayna Sylvia
20 #92z Scott Chapeta
21 #5150 Chet Wilson
B Main
Results are not official
1 #57n Dennis Furia Jr.
2 #73x Keith Calvino
3 #5 Kaimi Moniz-Costa
4 #77s Ryon Siverling
5 #11b Alan Miranda
6 #5150 Chet Wilson
7 #3r Bob Davis
8 #17 Dan Younce
9 #02 Robert Floyd
McLea's Tires IMCA Modifieds
Results are not official
1 #17y Tim Yaeger
2 #50 Michael Paul Jr.
3 #34j Jeff Faulkner
4 #23 Oreste Gonnella
5 #22m Mitch Machado
6 #4x Anthony Slaney
7 #18j Joel Myers
8 #37 Ray Trimble
9 #74s Chris Sieweke
10 #2y Justin Yaeger
11 #01 Terry Kaiser
12 #42b Tony Bernard
Lumberjacks Restaurant Super Stocks
Results are not official
1 #22m Mitch Machado
2 #3 Matt While
3 #46 Steve Studebaker
4 #60 Shawn McCoy
5 #11c Sean Cook
6 #49 Woody Woodward
7 #85 Austin Ohlinger
8 #51d Sid Hess
9 #27 Tim O'Hara
10 #18 Snazzy Duckworth
Jake's Performance Hobbies Mini Stocks
Results are not official
1 #13 Dave Spindell
2 #32 Sean Hale
3 #999 Richard Sklarski
4 #m1a Danny Manzoni
5 #3r Tom Brown
6 #22z Sophie Shelley
7 #81 Randy Miramontez
8 #88 Antonio Miramontez
9 #25c Roberta Broze
10 #c4 Roy Dearing
Kings Speedway Unofficial Race Results June 16, 2018
SCCT Sprint Cars
A Main
DJ Netto
Justyn Cox
Colby Copeland
Ryan Bernal
Buddy Kofoid
Sean Becker
Collin Markle
Mitchell Faccinto
Kyle Offill
Tim Kaeding
Jace Vanderweerd
Justin Sanders
Cole Macedo
Steven Kent
Craig Stidham
Shane Hopkins
Landon Hurst
Tommy Tarlton
Chase Johnson
Vaughn Schott
Kyle Hirst
Matt Dumesny
Willie Croft
andy forsberg
B Main
Justin Sanders
Shane Hopkins
Cole Macedo
Craig Stidham
Andy Gregg
Tony Gualda
Mathew Moles
Grant Duinkerken
Tucker Worth
Travis Coelho
Cole Danell
Zane Blanchard
Jared Faria
Ben Worth
C Main
Andy Gregg
Mathew Moles
Dustin Freitas
Albert Pombo
Tanner Boul
Klint Simpson
Jodi Robinson
Anthony Simone
Colby Johnson
Ryan Robinson DNS
Ryan Souza DNS
IMCA Stock Cars
Larry Thompson
Chett Reeves
Steve Streeter
Brock Hamilton
Ron Hurt
Chad Johnson
Preston Martin
Troy Patee
Alan Mendes
Shawn Schwartzenberger
Rod Bane
James Elliott
Renn Bane
Josh Nichols
Mini Stocks
Jason Cook
andrew boydstun
Paul Schwartzenberger
Gene Glover
kit murphy
Joshua Dysart
Helder Santos
Kristina Cole
Steve Porter
Garrett Spurgeon
James Smith DNS
Madera Speedway Unofficial Race Results June 16,2016
Late Models
Buddy Shepherd
Jason Aguirre
Dillon Tucker
Austin Herzog
Henk Gaalswyk Jr
Tyler Herzog
Mike Shapiro
Howard Holden
Joseph Reichmuth
Dean Gould
Eloy Bazan
Kent Cam
Zachary Cook
Matt Kutz
Aaron Mullins
Southwest Tour Trucks
Dustin Vandermooren
Jeremiah Wagner
Ronnie Davis
Ed Cutler
Barry Kelperis
Mike Kelperis
Derek Robertson
George Perret
Steve Reeves
Hobby Stocks
Jesus Hernandez
Chuck Dozhier
Jon Schlundt
Steve Schermerhorn
Verg Beatty
Thomas Suarez
Toyotas
Jillaun Holden
Jason Kerns
Mike Marley
J.J Brandsen
Thomas Magray
Manny Gonzales Jr
Wyatt Cantrell
MST
Shaun Reynolds
Patrick Geiger
Dave Lander
Bert Stephens
Ryan Reynolds
Dennis Brannon
Legends
Braden Rogers
Robert Czub
Cody Winchel
Chad Nascimento
Eddie Garone
Michael Ray
Keith Clement
Pete Soto
Matt Winfrey
Rob Nascimento
Kevin Travels
Mike Marley
Jr.Late Models Exhibition
Kabe McClenny
Calvin Hegje
Zachary Ginn
Stockton 99 Speedway Unofficial Race Results June 16, 2016
Tom Manning Memorial
BCRA Midgets
Chad Nichols
Jesse Love IV
Mark Maliepaard
David Goodwill
Maria Cofer
Cody Jessup
JR Williams
Gun Slingers Sprint Cars
Justin Kawahata
AJ Russell
Jerry Kobza
Chad Nichols
Gordon Rodgers
Alan Beck
Austin Carter
Audra Sasselli
Eric Humphries
USAC Speed2 Midgets
Adam Lemke
Cody Jessop
Joey Iest
Jonny Nichols
NCMA Sprint Cars
Denny Burrell
Rob Hammond
David Burchett
Andy Gleason
Merced Speedway Unofficial Race Results June 16, 2016
WSDCA Dwarf Car Nationals
Pro Dwarf Cars
A Main
Results are not official
1 #57B Ryan Diatte
2 #63X Johnathon Henry
3 #3C Tony Steffensmeier
4 #11 Darren Brown
5 #4N Ryan Winter
6 #63 Camron Diatte
7 #17M Mac Marmon
8 #11DN Danny Wagner
9 #57T Darren Brent
10 #22D Dustin Loughton
11 #74B Punky Pires
12 #69 Zach Price
13 #2B Justin Yanez
14 #79R Mark Hanson
15 #22R Zack Albers
16 #92N Jessica Clark
17 #28N Justin Winter
18 #23R Matt Sargent
19 #12N Michael Grenert
20 #4B Allen Heeney
21 #5B Brady Beck
22 #9R Chad Matthias
23 #42R Adam Teves
24 #18O Shane Youngren
B Main
Results are not official
1 #63 Camron Diatte
2 #12N Michael Grenert
3 #57T Darren Brent
4 #74B Punky Pires
5 #23R Matt Sargent
6 #18O Shane Youngren
7 #2B Justin Yanez
8 #28N Justin Winter
9 #22R Zack Albersn
10 #69 Zach Price
11 #92N Jessica Clark
12 #5B Brady Beck
13 #4B Allen Heeney
14 #75N Toby Brown
15 #20 James Price
16 #6 Chris Kress
17 #22K Anthony Pope
18 #18N Deven Kammermann
Veteran Dwarf Cars
Results are not official
1 #47A Steven Kapaun
2 #66B Mark Biscardi
3 #14D Tim Fitzpatrick
4 #21N Scott Dahlgren
5 #63N Buddy Olschowka
6 #9N Kevin Bender
7 #72N Mike Reeder
8 #2J Jack Haverty
9 #53N Wade Ehlrich
10 #56N Dennis Hively
11 #64B Eric Weisler
Sportsman Dwarf Cars
Results are not official
1 #15N Sean Whitney
2 #4S Joe Sanders
3 #4K Mike Clark
4 #12B Eddy Claessen
5 #23B Mack Aceves
Hobby Stocks
Kodie Dean
Robbie Loquaci
Rick Diaz
Bruce Nelson
Austin VanHoff
Kristie Shearer
John Hensley
Shannon Nelson
Cody Smiley
Jeff Lacy
Race Shelton
Mini Late Model
Jesse Burks
Tim Crews
Ian Shearer
Carson Guthrie
Riley Jeppesen
Valley Sportsman
Vintage Modifieds
Chris Birdsong
Ray Johnson
Jeff Bristow
Jerry Cecil
Rick Elliot
The Editor's Viewpoint
I had the revelation this morning. The DCRR Media effort finds me writing as much content as I did back when I had the printed racing magazine. The only thing lacking now is the magazine, but I don't see how I could pull anything like that off without people working with me.
The biggest challenge is not enough time during the week to get it done. It can be challenging to do what I am getting accomplished given the fact that I'm on the road more going to the race track. Part of me would love to see a printed magazine in circulation. Though I don't really know how much longer I will continue the media effort, the idea of possibly getting something up and running intrigues me.
I can't really get into the story of the challenges that we face doing the race track up here. Generally speaking, things start getting put into place during the first year. You figure out the trouble spots and start dealing with them. The second year, you start adding some touches to your program. I can say, we did just that both years, and I am proud of what we have done so far. The second year didn't go easier. It was more challenging, but it pales in comparison to the things we've had to deal with this year.
I'd love to tell you some stories about all of that. I hesitate to do so at the moment. What I can say is that myself and Promoter Mike McCann have found ourselves doing a little bit more on race night than we have in the past. Things come up, and you need to jump in there and deal with them before they become problems. We work really hard to keep this all together.
Not only am I finding myself unable to enjoy the fact that we've had some good turnouts that have been well earned, I get very frustrated at some of the negativity thrown at us. It snaps you back into reality. "No happy moment for you, " I tell myself. "Get back to work." The whole idea for me is to help leave things better than they were when I got there. But I also understand something pretty clearly.
I have done a lot in the media effort here that really was never done up here before. I do not see somebody coming in after me and doing even half of what it is that I do. It's just too much work, and there aren't too many people who want to do what I do. And I can tell you, I don't blame them one damn bit. When it becomes work, people expect compensation. When there is no compensation, they will be less eager to jump in and do those things.
It all can get very frustrating at times, and it's hard to look back and see the accomplishments that have been made. There's just so much going on that isn't so great that you don't get to pat yourself on the back for the good things at all. The frustrating part is when you look and wonder if people realize how much work has been done and see the positive changes. Some people do. We get the comments. And believe me, for those trouble spots, the ones that people want to point out relentlessly, we know.
You want to do it seamlessly. There's a problem, you get in there and fix it, then you move on. Sometimes we do that, and other times it's not as easy as that. All aspects become a challenge. From what goes on in the booth to what's going on in the pits and on the race track to the concessions. There are stories that I can tell. It's all being logged and remembered for the book in the future.
Sometimes I want to start explaining things to people, but you can't sit down and engage everybody every time they have a criticism. And as Mike would say, everybody isn't expected to know all of the things that went on. They don't know what work went into it. All they know is the races are happening and they are there. It's not their job to know all of this. It's their job to be entertained.
I wonder though, how many armchair promoters would last very long dealing with what we're dealing with here? It's not an easy thing to run a race track in 2018. There are so many challenges that we face. It's not just the threats to the race tracks in some places, it's the work that needs to be done. It's managing numerous different situations and prioritizing what is most important in all of that.
And sometimes, it seems like the track is a bucket with a hole in it. Make that multiple holes. The water is the money, and the holes are the ways that that money disappears on you. For a promoter, that can get very challenging. You're not in this business to lose money. You might have a love of the sport, but you're not putting all the hours into this to lose money relentlessly.
So, you work on patching up as many of those holes as you can. Hopefully, you can get it to a point where more water is going into the bucket than is escaping. It's a never ending battle, and some weeks, that bucket will have less water than you started with. Water being money.
The writing is what I enjoy the most. I would much prefer to be writing articles and announcing races and doing that stuff. Even managing a website or doing souvenir programs isn't a problem. This is what I was brought up here for. Because of all of the other things that go on, I'm going beyond those duties. And the challenge is, those duties are expected of me. If the things that take my time away from that make it challenging, I have to find the time to get the other stuff done. Where does that leave my me time? What me time?
I never really minded giving up all of my personal time for the sport years ago, but I had the realization that I didn't necessarily want to keep doing that when I walked away in 2003. The fact is, I wasn't coming back. I was quite comfortable watching things from the sidelines when I felt like it and just living my life. I knew the work and the hours it took to maintain the media effort. Now, it's a whole new level. There is no me time. There is no personal life.
If you're going to do this, you have to be willing to make sacrifices. The biggest reason I sacrifice is I still have no home of my own, nearly three years after losing my home. I'm not even living near where I want to live. I'm not even in the same state. And all I can do is take what's in front of me and make the best of it. This is all I have done.
Being involved in the creative process is what keeps me going. I love writing. Although I would like to write about things other than racing too, I enjoy using my mind in that way to tell stories. Those are the moments I enjoy the most. I also enjoy announcing, which I unfortunately only get to do at the Outlaw Kart Track. There are reasons that I'm not announcing at the big track. It's not because I'm not good enough to do it, but rather it's because I'm needed at different places at different times. I know we've got a good announcer with Bryce, so I'm not worried about it.
For the next gig that I get, if it's not time for me to completely depart, I want to announce and write. I'm not even sure that the opportunity will come to me or that I will even search for it. I did say that prior to the season this would probably be my last. That is the goal, but I have racing projects on the agenda for the future regardless. There are books I want to release, but I have to make sure that I have a place to stay and the things needed to do what I want to do.
And this is the biggest reason I ended up at Southern Oregon Speedway. There were rumors going around that I snubbed other race tracks. That is a falsehood. The only offer I had back in California was an announcing gig at Merced Speedway that I was unable to accept due to the fact that I needed more money coming in. The other offer I had hoped for was not offered, and I know there are hard feelings there. When you don't know where you're going to live and you have an offer, even out-of-state, you do what you have to do.
I've often said since coming up here that had I known everything, I wouldn't have come. But how can you know those things? I say that while pointing out that we have good people here. The only thing left is to look at the situation and see how you can best help it. This is what I've done. We're just about halfway through the season, and the biggest goal in my mind is to see how we can maintain the bump in numbers that we've had so far. It's to figure out how we can patch up some of the issues and make things go smoother down the stretch.
I am delighted that Uncle Rich has come back. He has been so important to what we did during the first two years. His hours put in at that race track have made a difference. His presence on the pit board has made a difference. Just being my friend has been a difference maker for me. We have him back as we go into this weekend. It's Friday as I write this, but I am feeling pretty good about Saturday. I think things are going to be okay. I'll do my best to handle whatever is thrown my way.
I was leaving it open to add more to this column. I had something else to say. In light of the news of Ed Parker, I'll end it here. Until next time...
